This invention relates generally to floor coverings and mats of the type which have a pile surface on the upper side and a backing layer on the lower side. In particular the invention relates to rubber-backed floor mats such as dust control mats or decorative mats of the type which have a rubber or rubber-like material on the lower side. Mats of this type are generally used in access ways where people tend to brush or scrape their feet in order to prevent carrying of moisture and/or dirt, accumulated on their footwear, into other areas of the premises. Normally these mats are located in areas of high pedestrian traffic, such as doorways.
It is desirable for such mats to have a clearly delineated border, so that users of the mats have a clear visual indication of the edge of the mat. The border also serves to act as a frame to the decoration on the mat, particularly in the cases where mats are provided with a pattern in the form of a logo or advertising. Known mats are formed with a backing layer which has a larger area than the pile layer, so that the backing layer extends beyond the pile layer on each of the four sides, forming a contrasting border which does not have a pile applied to it. It is a disadvantage of such mats that they must be manufactured individually. The backing layer must be trimmed to provide a uniform border all the way around the area of pile. It is a further disadvantage that the border area is effectively a wasted area, since it does not have a pile fabric upon it and can serve no purpose in brushing or cleaning the footwear of users.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a mat that has a visually recognisable border, but which has improved cleaning characteristics and can be manufactured without additional trimming of the backing layer.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention there is provided a mat comprising a pile surface fabric and a rubber or rubber-like backing material connected to said pile surface fabric, wherein both the pile surface fabric and the backing material extend to the edge of the mat, and wherein the pile surface fabric is provided with a border portion having on its upper surface a contrasting colour and/or texture to the remainder of the pile surface fabric and extending along at least a portion of the edge of said pile surface fabric.
It is to be understood that the edge of the mat may comprise a plurality of straight edges or one or more curved edges or a combination of one or more straight edges and one or more curved edges. The edge of the mat is understood to be the side surface of the mat which extends around the perimeter of the mat and connects the upper and lower surfaces of the mat.
It is to be understood that a rubber-like backing material can include a substantially impervious flexible sheet material such as natural or artificial rubber, latex, polyethylene, polyester, polypropylene and polyamide. Preferably the backing material is a solid sheet.
Preferably the border portion of the pile surface fabric extends along the entire perimeter of the pile surface fabric.
Preferably the edge of the mat comprises a cut edge, whereby the cut edge is the result of a single cutting operation through the pile surface fabric and the backing material.
Preferably the backing material is vulcanised to the pile surface fabric.
In the case where the border portion has on its upper surface a contrasting colour, the border portion may comprise a printed portion of the pile surface fabric. Alternatively the border portion may comprise a portion of the pile surface fabric produced using pre-dyed yarns. Alternatively the border portion may comprise a portion of the pile surface fabric produced by selective melting of the yarns in the pile surface fabric. Alternatively the border portion may comprise a portion of the pile surface fabric screened from a printing or dyeing process applied to the remainder of the pile surface fabric by selective application of a liquid repellent to the border portion.
In the case where the border portion has on its upper surface a contrasting texture, the border portion may comprise a portion of the pile surface fabric having reduced pile height produced by selective melting, mechanical carving or chemical treatment of the yarns in the pile surface fabric.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method for manufacturing a mat comprising a pile surface fabric and a rubber or rubber-like backing material connected to said pile surface fabric, comprising the steps of:
bonding a pile surface fabric to a rubber or rubber-like backing material, the pile surface fabric having elongate areas of contrasting surface colour and/or texture,
cutting through the pile surface fabric and backing material along at least one of said elongate areas to form a mat, wherein the cut portion of the elongate area forms a border portion of the mat.
Preferably the pile surface fabric has longitudinal and transverse elongate areas of contrasting surface colour and/or texture forming a grid on the pile surface fabric. Preferably the pile surface fabric and backing material are cut along two longitudinal and two transverse elongate areas to form a substantially rectangular mat.
Preferably the bonding step is achieved by vulcanization of the rubber backing layer to the fabric.
In a preferred embodiment the method includes the step of using a visual scanning means, such as a sensor array or a camera, to scan the pile surface fabric and identify the position of the elongate areas. Alternatively the method includes the step of using a mechanical guide sensor, to identify the position of the elongate areas in the case when the elongate areas are sculpted or carved, by physically sensing the change in height of the pile surface fabric.
Preferably the method also includes the step of using an electronic control means to guide a cutting means to cut through the pile surface fabric and backing material along a cutting line having a predefined position with respect to the position of the elongate area. Preferably the cutting line is predefined as corresponding to the centre line of the elongate area.
In a first preferred embodiment the areas of contrasting surface colour and/or texture are areas of contrasting surface colour. The areas of contrasting colour may be achieved by the step of printing or dyeing the pile surface fabric, either before or after the bonding step. Alternatively the areas of contrasting colour may be achieved by forming the pile surface fabric with areas which comprise pre-dyed yarns.
Alternatively the areas of contrasting colour may be achieved by the step of selective application of heat on the pile surface fabric, wherein the fabric comprises a blend of fibres of polymers having different melting points, either before or after the bonding step. A suitable method of selective application of heat is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,933.
Alternatively the areas of contrasting colour may be achieved by the step of selective application of chemicals containing a liquid repellent on the pile surface fabric, wherein the fabric is subsequently rewetted by the application of liquid and subject to heat treatment to carve the areas to which liquid repellent has been applied, either before or after the bonding step. A suitable method of selective application of liquid repellent and heat treatment is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,044.
Alternatively the areas of contrasting colour may be achieved by the step of selective application of chemicals to carve the upper surface of the pile surface fabric and reveal a lower portion of the pile surface fabric having a contrasting colour to the colour of the fibres at the upper surface of the pile surface fabric.
In a second preferred embodiment the areas of contrasting surface colour and/or texture are areas of contrasting surface texture. The areas of contrasting texture may be achieved by the step of selectively carving areas of the pile surface fabric, either before or after the bonding step. The carving may be carried out by acid carving, mechanical carving or shearing.
The carving may be carried out by applying a degrading agent to the pile fibres in the area to be carved, heating the pile fabric to cause degradation of the pile fibres and mechanically removing the degraded fibres. Suitable methods of degrading the fibres are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,415,331 and 4,353,706.
Alternatively the carving may be carried out by the step of selective application of chemicals containing a liquid repellent on the pile surface fabric, wherein the fabric is subsequently rewetted by the application of liquid and subject to heat treatment to carve the areas to which liquid repellent has been applied, either before or after the bonding step. A suitable method of selective application of liquid repellent and heat treatment is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,044.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: